Battle tank structure



P 1943. w. MJSHEEHAN ETAL 2,329,420

BATTLE TANK STRUCTURE Original Filed June 14, 1941 INVENTORS WILLIAM M.SHE EHAN SAMUEL T. WHARTON, JR.

BY QZ K A TbRNEY Patented Sept. 14, 1943 William'lti. Sheehan, Philadelphia, andSamuel T. Wharton, Jr., Ridley Park, Pa., assignors to GeneralSteel Castings Corporation, Granite- City, Iil.;a oorpcration of Delaware flriginahapplication me 14, 1941, Serial o.

398,150. Divided and this application Septem 1 her 5,1942, Serial No. 457,392 y 1 -7Claims.-' (crime-sash This invention relates to battle tanks and more particularly to the construction adjacent to openings in the tank wall adapted to be closed by a door or the like. The application is a division of an earlier application by the same applicants flled June 14, 1941, Serial No. 398,150.

The main object of the invention isto ar range the tank wall and door so that the joint between the door and the wall will baffle the movement of metal splash tending to penetrate the joint, thus preventing the metal splash irom' entering the tank and injuring the mentherein. It will be understood that the term "metal splash includes metal in liquid form meltedb'y the heat of impact of a projectile against the tank, or fragments of metal produced by shock,

or combined molten metal and fragments.

This and other detail objects of the invention as will appear from the following description are attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly diagrammatic, of a battle tank having a homogeneous armor plate wall provided with a door made in n accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detailed vertical transverse section taken on the line 22 of Figure l and drawn to an enlarged scale with the intermediate portion of the structure broken away.

Figure 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and drawn to the same scale as Figure 2 and having the intermediate portion broken away.

The tank hull l preferably consists of a onepiece casting of armor steel having an exterior surface of general turtle back contour adapted to deflect projectiles striking it from any direction. The hull; is mounted upon framework (not shown) which in turn is carried upon the supporting wheels 2 travelling over an endless track 3 in a manner well known in the art.

The upper portion of hull I is provided with a large opening over which is applied an inverted bowl-like turret l secured in place and other openings may be provided in the hull for guns, vision, etc. entrance and egress through one or more doorways 5, each of which is fitted with a door 6. Preferably the door is of the swinging type and the door and wall are provided with integral Men operating the tank will have v well into the doorwayjextending substantially from side to side and iro'in'top to bottomoi the doorway. Surrounding doorway't is a fiatlil'il M disposed to seat an opposing shoulder It on the door extending outwardly from part Elli [S n rounding rim II is a channel-like'recess l2inthe hull wall and surrounding recessl l2 and spaced substantially from rimgll' is flangeorfbead ing it onthe wallprojecting slightly from the normal contour oithe wall. The door'edge l5 projects beyond rim H up to, rbutclearing the inner periphery of flange 53 andthe inner face it of the door edge is spaced 'subst-antiallyflfroin the bottom of recess 12 and from the outer face of flange 'iithus donning a pocket of'jsubstanf tia'l' area with its inner end closed and with a narrow elongated entrance neck It.

The marginal portion of the dooris rounded as indicated at H so that the exterior surfaces of the door and wall flange l3 tend to merge as indicated by the broken line L in Figure 2. The

joint described extends substantially continuously around the top, bottom and both sides of the door.

One side of the door opening is recessed as indicated at it (Figure 3) to receive a door lock latch (not-shown) butthis feature forms no part of the present invention.

The contour of the exterior marginal portion of the door and the adjacent exterior of flange it, the restricted crevice M between the edge of the door and the opposing face of flange l3, and the relatively large recess 12 at the inner end of crevice Hi all cooperate to deflect, bafile and prevent the penetration of particles oi metal or molten metal between the door and the door opening to the interior of the tank caused by impact of projectiles, and particularly of soft nose projectiles. The inwardly projecting portion 9 gives the door rigidity and, in the event of any warp'age or bending of the door, provides an through said; joint when. a

opening, there being an outwardly facing flat surfaceon the wall forming a rim substantially surrounding said opening, a door fitting against said rim, and a'fiange projecting from the wall" surface and substantially surrounding the edge of the door, said rim,' flange and the marginal portion of the door forming a pocket with a lying said rim, said wall including a beading projecting outwardly of the face of the wall and be yond the'plane'of the face of said rim and the closed inner end and a narrow entrance .for re-- sistingentrance to the tank interior of metal splash resulting from a projectile striking the tank'exterioradjacent the joint between the door andthewall.

2. In a. battle tank, a wall liayingflla '1 door opening and a door member 'closing sai-d-- opening, the joint between said members including a recess in one of said memb'ers facingthe: other of said members and extendin'g'aroun'dthe' opening, the latter-mentioned member having a portion seated against one edge of said recess and extending over the open side of said recess to v saidmembers'overlying one edge of sai'dyrecess anaa proacning the other edge of s'aid're'c'ess andi'being' spaced substantially from the bottom of said recess intermediate said edges to' form trapfin the iointbetween saidmembers for tiaflnng the. passage of partTcIes ofmejtal Splash projectile" Strikesthe tank near-said joint.

4. In abattle tank; a wall l'ial'vijngv a door openclosing said opening. andh'aving a shoulderoverdoor shoulder and substantially surrounding the latter to deflect from the crevice between said rim .anddoor shoulder particles. of metal? splash resulting from a projectile striking the tank.

5; Structure as described in claim 4 in which the door includes a part surrounded by its rimiengagingshonlder and projecting inwardly of the door, opening, beyond. the plane of saidrim a substantial distance and extending substantially from side'tosi'deand from top tobottom of the door openi g-sof s to further bafile the passage of metal splash. which may penetrate the crevice between-theedge o-f'the door and the rim.

the bodyiof the door projects outwardly beyond the plan'e'of the outer face of the beading on the wall. and the marginal portion of the door. is

closing the beading'and the door.

rounded so as try-merge wit -a contour line en-,

7'. Ina battle-tank, acast armor wa l-l" vided with a door-opening; there being-an-out' wardly facing surface on the wall" substantially surrounding. said opening and forming" a-rr' spam ing rim, the wall being provided with a -rec'es's V surrounding said rim and-with a* proj-'ection"sur-- V rounding said recess-and formillgth'e outer edge thereof and extending outward-ly'beyondthe race of said'rim, adoor having an inwardly facing portion fitting against saidrimand an edgefpor;

ti'on projecting beyond: saidrln'r and over said are-- ces's'and' spaced from' the bottom thereof and non forming the outer edgefofjs'aid'jrecess.

' Winn- AM M; .SHEEI-IAN.

SAMUEL 'r'. WHARTON, .JR;

terminating adjacent to the' side-'of-said projeeme as described in claim 4. in which 

